Railway signaling apparatus.



No. 637,337. Patented Nov. 2|. I899. W. HUME.

RAILWAY SIGNALING APPARATUS.

Application filed Mar, 17, 1899.

(No Model.

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NITED- STATES PATENT FFICE.

'WASHINGTON HUME, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

RAILWAY SIG NALIN G APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 637,337, dated November 21, 1899.

Original application filed October 6, 1898, Serial No. 692,843. Divided and this application filed March 17, 1899. Serial No. 709,525. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, WASHINGTON HUME, a subject of theQueen of Great Britain and Ireland, residing at Nw Broad street, in thecity of London, England, have invented Improvements in Railway Signaling Apparatus, of which the following is a specification. V

In the specification of another application for Letters Patent filed by me October 6, 1898,

Serial No. 692,843, there is described apparatus whereby railway trains or engines (hereinafter called trains )can cause their approach to be indicated at signal boxes or stations. Now the present application, which is a division of my said former application, has refference to means whereby those in charge of the signal box or station can upon receiving notice of the approach of a train cause indications to be conveyed to those in charge of the train by means of audible signals arranged at the side of the track and which can be switched into circuit at the signal box or station, the arrangement being such as to'produce in an automatic manner any desired combination of sounds which may have been set by the Signalman and which will convey definite information to those in charge of the train.

In describing the nature of my invention I will assume that the audible signals are to be produced by electric bells; but it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to bells only, as any other convenient and suitable sound-producing devices may be used.

For the purpose of communicating instructions from a signal box or station to those in charge of a train, as above set forth, there are provided between the rails of the track two or more pairs of fixed contact-bars, the bars constituting each pair being arranged parallel to one another and the several pairs being placed in line along the track, one pair after the other, a suitable distance being left between adjacent pairs. 'The pairs of bars are placed to one side of the track, so that the contact-making device described in my said prior specification and carried by the train for giving indications in the signal box or station of the approach of the train will not come in contact with them, a special contactmaking device or devices being provided on the train for use with such pairs of contact bars. The pair of bars are electrically connected to sound-producing devices, such as bells of different sound, arranged outside the track close to the bars and also to a battery and switching or circuit closing apparatus placed and adapted to be actuated at the sig nal box or station.

Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings shows, diagrammatically, in plan one arrangement of signaling apparatus according to this invention. Fig. 2 is a similar view showing a modified arrangement of fixed contact-bars.

O O O and D D D are insulated pairs of contacts made in the form of bars arranged to one side of the track and near to one of the lines of rails. One bar of each of those pairs of bars marked 0 O G is connected to a common wire Y, which passes through a hightoned bell O and thence to a battery F and to suitable switches S S S to each of which it is connected. The remaining bar of each of the said pairs of bars 0 C C is connected by a separate wire Y, Y or Y of its own direct to a corresponding switch S S S located in the signal box or station. In like manner one bar of each of those pairs of bars marked D D D which alternate with the pairs of bars marked 0 C 0 is joined to another common wire Z, which passes through a deep-toned bell (indicated at D) placed alongside or over the bell indicated at O and is connected through a battery F to switches S S S". The remaining bar of each of the pair of bars D D D is connected each by a separate wire Z Z Z of its own direct to its corresponding switch S S S. The bars C C O and D D D are placed between the rails at asuitable distance from the set of contact-bars described in my said prior specification for indicating the approach of a-train, so that when the signalman has been warned of the approach of a train he will have ample time to set the switches S S S and S S S to convey any desired instructions by means of the bells D O to the person in charge of the train before such train shall have arrived at the first-mentioned set of bars 0 O O and D D D The bells G and-D are placed outside the track oppo site the bars 0 O O and D D D at any convenient point Where they can be clearly heard by a driver. More than two bells might be used, it thought desirable, and the bars 0 O O and D D D might be connected up to them to form any desired combination. Fur: thermore, the bars might be increased or diminished in number or be placed in two parallel rows instead of in one row. For use with the said pairs of fixed contact-bars each engine must be provided with a suitable brushcarrier or movable contact-maker J as, for example, of the kind described in my said prior specification-the said movable contactmaker being arranged to register with and make contact successively with the several pairs of contact-bars O C (J and D' D D in its passage over such bars. \Vhen the fixed contacts are arranged in two parallel rows, as indicated in Fig. 2, the engine must be provided with two movable contacts J J. \Vith the arrangement described when the movable contact-maker J (or contact-makers J J) is (or are) brought by the moving train over and caused to successively touch both bars of each pair of the sets of bars 0 C C and D, D and D the corresponding circuit will be closed at the rails and the corresponding bell O or D will be rung alongside the track if the signalmanhas closed the other end of the circuit by one or other of the switches S 8 8 8 S 8. Otherwise the bell will remain silent.

In order that the signalman may be sure that his signals have been reproduced by the bells C D, there may be arranged in the circuit of the said bells and within the signalbox two other bells C D the tones of which correspond to those of O and D. If a train should be brought to rest at the hell 0 or D, it could receive no further automatic signal by means of the pairs of bars 0' C U D D D and connections, owing to its having passed such bars; but by providing in connection with each bell an additional wire G, adapted to be placed in connection with the corresponding battery E or F by a switch or circuit-closer H in the signal-box, the signalm an is enabled to give the driver any further necessary signals for starting or otherwise. In the same way to enable the driver to signal to the Signalman an additional wire G, with circuit-closer or switch H, may connect each of the conductors Y and Z with a portion of the corresponding conductor that is within the signal-box and on the opposite side of the corresponding battery E or F and bell C or D lVhat I claim is 1. Railway signaling apparatus comprising pairs of insulated contact-bars spaced apart one behind the other and arranged in sets along the track, corresponding switches located at a signal box or station, electrical connections between each of said pairs of contacts and said switches, audible signaling devices of different tones placed alongside the rails and adapted to be operated by the closing of the circuits between the pairs of contact-bars, and one or more circuit making and breaking devices carried by a traveling vehicle, said circuit making and breaking device being adapted to electrically connect and close a circuit between the successive pairs of contacts, substantially as described for the purpose specified.

2. Railway signaling apparatus comprising pairs of insulated contact-bars spaced apart one behind the other and arranged in sets along the track, corresponding switches located at a signal box or station, electrical connections between each of said pairs of contacts and said switches, a common return-conductor connecting each set of contact-bars with said signal cabin or station and including an audible signal located in proximity to said contacts, the audible signals in the different return-conductors being of diiferent tones, and one or more circuit making and breaking devices carried by a traveling vehicle and adapted to electrically connect and close the circuit, between the successive pairs of contacts, substantially as described for the purpose specified.

3. Railway signaling apparatus comprising two or more sets of normally-open electrical circuits each set including a switch or circuitcloserlocated at a signal box or station, audible signaling devices of different tones placed alongside the rails and a pair of insulated contacts, the several pairs of contacts being spaced apart along the track, one or more circuit-closing devices carried by a traveling vehicle'and adapted to close the circuit between the successive pairs of contacts, and shuntcircuit conductors with switches whereby the circuits through the audible signals can be completed independently of said circuitclosing device, substantially as described for the purposes specified.

Signed at the city of London, England, this 1st day of March, 1890.

XVASIIINGTON HUME. \Vitnesses:

FREDERICK CHIPPERFIELD, HERBERT WILLIAM ALLISON. 

